Hearts of Oak came up short in their improbable mission to overturn a 4-0 first leg deficit against Esperance; managing only a 1-1 draw that saw them knocked out of the Confederations cup.

Isaac Mensah gave Hearts an early lead, nodding home in the 4th minute, but that was as good as it got all game. Profligacy kept the score at 1-0, until Esperance equalised mere minutes from time.

The huge first leg loss put the game all but beyond the reach of the Phobians, and whilst they acquitted themselves well in the second leg the failure to capitalise on chances haunted this team throughout their run and meant they come crashing out with a whimper.

Still, Hearts noticeably overachieved in this competition, and they’re the first Ghanaian side to get this close to the money zone in a long time. They now need to turn their attention to domestic campaign, where they’re struggling as well.